Methods and Apparatus for Performing Dynamic Load Balancing of Processing Resources

1. A method for a load balancer to manage allocation of a plurality of processing resources to perform server-related processing tasks requested by client applications over a network, the method comprising: electronically receiving registration requests from at least some of the plurality of processing resources; registering each processing resource from which a registration request was received to produce registered processing resources; receiving, from each registered processing resource, information relating to utilization of the registered processing resource to collectively produce utilization information, the receiving comprising remotely executing a script at the registered processing resource that enables the load balancer to retrieve a data structure from the registered processing resource, wherein the data structure includes the information relating to utilization of the registered processing resource; in response to receiving the information relating to utilization of the registered processing resource, updating a list of received information relating to the utilization of the processing resources at the load balancer; receiving a request to perform a server-related processing task from a client application over the network; and responsive to the request to perform the server-related processing task, allocating at least one of the registered processing resources to perform the server-related processing task based on the utilization information.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: electronically communicating address information for the load balancer to at least one address resolution server on the network, the address information enabling the plurality of processing resources to determine an electronic address of the load balancer through communication with the at least one address resolution server; wherein electronically receiving registration requests from at least some of the plurality of processing resources occurs subsequent to communicating the address information to the at least one address resolution server.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving information relating to utilization of the registered processing resource comprises: remotely executing a script at the registered processing resource, the script enabling the load balancer to retrieve the utilization information from the registered processing resource.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising: receiving information regarding the script from the registered processing resource during registration with the load balancer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information relating to utilization of the registered processing resource includes operational metrics for the registered processing resource.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the operational metrics include at least one of memory used, network input and output ports, central processing unit usage, swap memory usage, operating system cache, and quantity of processor operations executed.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: remotely executing a notification script at a particular registered processing resource, the notification script notifying the particular registered processing resource of an event related to the load balancer.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: electronically receiving a deregistration request from a registered processing resource; and deregistering the registered processing resource from which the deregistration request was received.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of processing resources includes at least one of: servers, one or more cloud computing environments, and one or more additional load balancers.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, from each registered processing resource, information relating to utilization of the registered processing resource comprises: receiving, from a cloud computing management system application, information relating to utilization of server instances in an associated cloud computing environment when the plurality of processing resources includes the cloud computing environment.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the cloud computing management system application is an orchestration layer.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the load balancer is implemented as at least one of a hardware device and a software process within a host computing system coupled to the network.

13. A computing system for implementing a load balancer, the computing system comprising: one or more interfaces for interfacing the computing system to one or more networks and to a plurality of processing resources; and a controller coupled to the one or more interfaces, the controller being configured to: electronically receive registration requests from at least some of the plurality of processing resources; register each processing resource from which a registration request was received to produce registered processing resources; receive, from each registered processing resource, information relating to utilization of the registered processing resource to collectively produce utilization information, the receiving comprising remotely executing a script at the registered processing resource that enables the load balancer to retrieve a data structure from the registered processing resource, wherein the data structure includes the information relating to utilization of the registered processing resource; update a list of received information relating to the utilization of the processing resources at the load balancer; receive a request to perform a server-related processing task from a client application over a network; and responsive to the request to perform the server-related processing task, allocate at least one of the registered processing resources to perform the server-related processing task based on the utilization information.

14. The computing system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more networks include at least one address resolution server and wherein the controller is further configured to: electronically communicate address information for the load balancer to the at least one address resolution server, the address information enabling the plurality of processing resources to determine an electronic address of the load balancer through communication with the at least one address resolution server; and electronically receive the registration requests from at least some of the plurality of processing resources subsequent to communication of the address information to the at least one address resolution server.

15. The computing system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one address resolution server comprises at least one domain name system server.

16. The computing system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of processing resources includes a cloud computing environment, wherein allocation of server instances in the cloud computing environment is controlled by a cloud computing management system application, and wherein the controller is configured to receive information relating to utilization of the server instances in the cloud computing environment from the cloud computing management system application.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to: electronically receive registration requests from at least some of a plurality of processing resources; register each processing resource from which a registration request was received to produce registered processing resources; receive, from each registered processing resource, information relating to utilization of the registered processing resource to collectively produce utilization information, the receiving comprising remotely executing a script at the registered processing resource that enables the load balancer to retrieve a data structure from the registered processing resource, wherein the data structure includes the information relating to utilization of the registered processing resource; update a list of received information relating to the utilization of the processing resources at the load balancer; receive a request to perform a server-related processing task from a client application over a network to which the computing system is communicatively coupled; and responsive to the request to perform the server-related processing task, allocate at least one of the registered processing resources to perform the server-related processing task based on the utilization information.

18. A method for a processing resource to assist a load balancer in performing dynamic load balancing, the processing resource being one of a plurality of processing resources allocatable by the load balancer and capable of performing server-related processing tasks as requested by remotely-executing client applications, the method comprising: generating information relating to utilization of the processing resource to produce utilization information; performing a registration sequence with the load balancer; subsequent to the registration sequence, receiving a request for the utilization information from the load balancer; executing a script at the processing resource that enables the load balancer to retrieve the requested utilization information; and communicating the requested utilization information to the load balancer responsive to the request, the communication enabling the load balancer to update a list of received information relating to the utilization of the processing resources.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising: prior to performing the registration sequence: accessing an address resolution server on a network to which the load balancer is communicatively coupled; determining an address of the load balancer from the address resolution server; and communicating a registration request to the address of the load balancer as determined from the address resolution server.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising: communicating information relating to a script to the load balancer during the registration sequence, wherein the script resides in a processing space of the processing resource and, when remotely executed by the load balancer, notifies the processing resource of an event related to the load balancer; and executing the script responsive to instructions from the load balancer.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising: communicating information relating to a script to the load balancer during the registration sequence, wherein the script resides in a processing space of the processing resource and, when remotely executed by the load balancer, causes the processing resource to communicate the utilization information to the load balancer; and executing the script responsive to an instruction from the load balancer, wherein the instruction corresponds to the request for the utilization information.

22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: electronically communicating a deregistration request to the load balancer after the processing resource has been registered with the load balancer.